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Part of series 1 of the CDC Museum set of Infectious disease trading cards, featuring photos and information about some of the infectious diseases that CDC studies.

Anthrax is a serious disease caused by a very small organism made up of one cell. These organisms form spores (cells that can hibernate for a long period of time) that can cause illness. Anthrax usually occurs in animals. However, people can get anthrax too. This can happen if they have contact with an infected live or dead animal. People who work with farm animals or products from them can get infected. There are three ways to get anthrax. One way is through cutsor scrapes on the skin. This can cause skin sores. An­ other way is by breathing in anthrax spores. This can cause serious, life-threatening problems. The last way is by eating raw or under-cooked meat from an animal that had anthrax. This can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain. The last two types of anthrax infection are the most serious, but they are rare. The skin form of anthrax occurs most often. Antibiotics can beusedtotreatallformsofanthrax. Antibioticswill make most people with the disease better, but people with any form of the disease may die, even if treated. Some people have threatened to use anthrax spores to make people sick on purpose. This is called bioter­ rorism. Public health agencies around the world are working to protect people against bioterrorism.

Friday, October 12, 2001, 15:13 EDT (3:13 PM EDT) : CDCHAN-00031-2001-10-12-ALT-N : CDC is aware of a presumptive case of cutaneous anthrax in New York City and CDC will follow-up with more detailed information shortly. Approximately at today, there ...

Anthrax is a serious infectious disease caused by gram-positive, rod-shaped bacteria known as Bacillus anthracis. Anthrax can be found naturally in soil and commonly affects domestic and wild animals around the world. Although it is rare in the Unite...

Thursday, October 04, 2001, 19:09 EDT (7:09 PM EDT) : CDCHAN-00024-2001-10-04-ADV-N : The Florida State Department of Health and the CDC are investigating a case of anthrax in a 63 year old male Florida resident who recently returned from a trip to N...

AAP COMMITTEE ON INFECTIOUS DISEASES and DISASTER PREPAREDNESS ADVISORY COUNCIL

Published:

May 2014

Source:

Pediatrics. 2014; 133(5):e1411-e1436.

Description:

Anthrax is a zoonotic disease caused by Bacillus anthracis, which has multiple routes of infection in humans, manifesting in different initial presentations of disease. Because B anthracis has the potential to be used as a biological weapon and can r...